Some major oil and gas production operations, especially in deep water (e.g., undersea), can suffer major and possibly permanent damage due to the formation of compounds that block the flow of the fluid being produced. Particularly in undersea oil operations, the pipes that move the oil from the wellhead to the surface (also referred to as risers) may be subject to conditions that result in the formation of ice-like formations known as hydrates.
Such formations may block the flow of fluid to the surface. The formations also may damage the risers. For example, if a formation loosens, the underground pressure may be sufficient to propel the loose formation in a straight direction, which can rupture a sub-sea pipeline where it bends.
Such formations can take months to be removed, if they are able to be removed at all. As a result of this downtime, a major undersea well can lose large amounts of money per day, and the associated yield of the reservoir can be damaged as a result of these formations.
In addition to hydrates, other formations that block the flow of fluid may occur in the risers and other pipelines of the oil production operation. For example, asphaltenes and wax build-up may form in the pipelines.
Similarly, other heavy process industries may experience formations that block the flow of fluid in transport mechanisms such as pipes. The heavy process industries typically include oil and gas production, oil and gas processing, minerals processing, wood processing, waste and wastewater processing, and power generation. This general class of problems experienced by process industries has been referred to as “flow assurance” problems.